"Track your engagement rate — likes plus comments over followers." That formula is a relic from Instagram and predicts nothing on TikTok. The algo doesn't see your follower ratio; it sees per-impression behavior. Build the real one:
— Pull each video's: completion rate, rewatch rate, shares, saves.
— Weight shares and saves heaviest — they signal 'send to others / return later.'
— Ignore likes; they're the cheapest, least predictive action.
— Track this per video, not per account.
Likes are a feel-good metric the algorithm barely weighs. Shares and completion move reach. Measure what the machine reads, not what flatters you.
The Algo Heretic
@AlgoHeretic
How to compute the engagement number that actually predicts reach
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